Top 10 Best Fights In The MCU

VO: Matthew Wende
WRITTEN BY: Garrett Alden
Written by Garrett Alden
It's not a superhero movie without a good fight! WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Duels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! But what will take the number one spot? Captain America: Civil War's final battle between Iron Man, Cap and Bucky, Cap's elevator fight in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, or Daredevil's hallway fight? Watch to find out!
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Big thanks to Tray Hutchinson for suggesting this idea, and to see how WatchMojo users voted, check out the suggest page here: https://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top+10+best+fights+in+the+MCU

In a universe with a whole lot of conflict, these are the standout bouts. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down the best fights in the MCU.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the greatest fight scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ll be limiting our entries to one per film or television season to keep the list from being too predictable. We’ll also be excluding large scale battles between heroes and groups of large faceless individuals, so the climactic battles of both of the first two Avengers films won’t be considered regardless of how awesome they might have been.

#10: Peggy and Jarvis vs SSR

“Agent Carter” (2015-16)

While stopping for a bite to eat, Agent Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis are surprised by several Strategic Scientific Reserve agents, who believe them to be helping America’s enemies. Carter dispatches the agents with her excellent and characteristic skill, while Jarvis holds off their back up at the doors. Not to underplay Jarvis’ handiwork, he does get a good hit or two in by the end of it. The fight utilizes its environment well and is set to the song“It’s a Good Day” by Peggy Lee, making for a light and breezy scuffle that’s a short but sweet treat to watch.

#9: Thor vs Iron Man and Captain America

“The Avengers” (2012)

After Iron Man and Captain America have captured Loki, Thor shows up and abducts him, keen on having Loki face his own people’s justice. However, Iron Man goes after him and the two hot-headed guys clash in a fantastic fight that utilizes their respective abilities in fun and creative ways. Captain America intervenes to put an end to the conflict and manages to do so, while dramatically flattening a chunk of forest around them in the process. Full of humor and inventive choreography, this fight is just the first of the MCU’s many hero vs hero fights to make our list.

#8: Iron Man vs Obadiah Stane

“Iron Man” (2008)

With how far and how fast the MCU has expanded, it can be easy to forget its roots and the fact that in its very first film, it offered up this excellent final fight. Obadiah Stane, Tony Stark’s former mentor, essentially goes mad with power after developing his own mammoth version of Tony’s initial Iron Man suit. Outgunned and running low on power, Tony uses his intelligence and experience with the suits’ shortcomings to gain advantages on Stane, all while trying to protect civilians from getting killed. Filled with everything from vehicles being used as melee weapons to the now seemingly mandatory sky beam, Iron Man’s fight against Iron Monger is a truly great one.

#7: Black Widow Hallway Fight

“Iron Man 2” (2010)

Pursuing Ivan Vanko, a.k.a. Whiplash, at a Hammer facility, Black Widow, accompanied by Tony Stark’s driver Happy Hogan, fights her way through a security team. Romanoff makes efficient work of a dozen men using gadgets and quick, unorthodox moves like her signature scissor flip, which is contrasted nicely with Happy, who struggles to beat even one guy. Although Black Widow’s introductory fight in “The Avengers” against Russian thugs was also quite well done, we ultimately decided on this one, both due to its greater length and its impact on establishing her fighting style. Can we have that Black Widow solo film already?

#6: Punisher vs Cell Block

“Daredevil” (2015-)

After the Kingpin puts him up to killing a mutual enemy, Frank Castle a.k.a. the Punisher finds himself locked in a cell block with a dozen criminals - which is just what the bald crime lord wanted. The group of inmates are all armed with a variety of shivs and improvised weapons, but Castle manages to turn these tools against his enemies, brutally killing or injuring all of them - taking a decent and satisfyingly realistic beating himself. The fight is easily one of the bloodiest in the whole MCU and it really proves that while the Punisher may be known for his deadliness with guns, he’s just as lethal on his own.

#5: Hulk vs Thor

“Thor Ragnarok” (2017)

Arguably the two heaviest hitters among the Avengers, Thor and Hulk have clashed several times - notably in the first “Avengers” film. But their fight in “Thor Ragnarok” was truly next level. Forced to do battle in an arena, Thor is at first happy to see the Hulk, but the green guy is more interested in fighting. Both combatants get in some big hits, and the use of weapons adds a different dynamic to Hulk’s fighting style. Thor’s lightning powers seem to give him an edge though, prompting the Grandmaster to stun him rather than see the Hulk lose.Too bad… had it been allowed to play out to the end, this might have ranked even higher.

#4: Hulk vs Hulkbuster

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)

Speaking of the Hulk, our current favorite brawl featuring the Incredible Avenger is this one. After becoming entranced by Scarlet Witch, the Hulk goes wild, rampaging through a city. Iron Man calls down a package from a satellite, which turns out to be a set of armor designed with the Hulk in mind, which he uses to battle the green rage monster through the streets, and buildings. The fight is chock full of cool tech, funny moments, and some of the biggest impacts in any fight on our list, like the climactic destruction of an entire building.

#3: Elevator Fight

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)

There are a lot of great fights in “The Winter Soldier,” and while we were tempted by the excellent highway battle between Cap and the titular antagonist - ultimately we had to go with the elevator fight. Captain America finds himself in a crowded elevator full of SHIELD (or should we say Hydra) agents who are trying to capture him. The close quarters fighting is chaotic, full of quick hits, and some creative use of magnetic handcuffs and stun batons. It may not be personal, but it certainly feels that way. Cap’s daring escape once the fight is over ain’t half bad either, but let’s leave that for another list.

#2: The Hallway Fight

“Daredevil” (2015-)

Matt Murdock, still in the early days of vigilante career, goes to rescue a kidnapped boy from a group of criminals. The camera follows the action along a hallway in one continuous shot as the fledgling Daredevil faces a number of adversaries. The way in which this action moves in and out of rooms makes for a particularly dynamic sequence. The choreography is intense, with characters getting winded or recovering to come back for more, making the scene reminiscent of a similar hallway battle from the film “Oldboy.” Overall, this fight is arguably the grittiest and most realistic fight in the MCU - though not quite THE best.

#1: Captain America & The Winter Soldier vs Iron Man

“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)

After learning the Winter Soldier killed his parents, Iron Man goes after Bucky, forcing a conflicted Captain America to protect his childhood friend. Sure enough, all three of them wind up duking it out. While there’s a ton of great moves and choreography, the real meat of this fight is the emotional turmoil at the heart of it, both for the characters and for the audience - it’s heart-wrenching to see old wounds opened up and close allies turned against each other. Though we considered choosing the incredibly varied and spectacle-filled airport fight from the same film, this more focused and emotionally intense battle ultimately won out.